Germany was the birthplace of the automobile. In 1889, Karl Benz invented the Motorwagen, the first practical gasoline-powered car. Well, practical is a bit of an overstatement. It had a top speed of only ten mph, was a tricycle, and had a steering system more like that of a boat than what we would today […]
The Autobahn: Unraveling the Story of the World’s First Superhighway Read More »
Imagine a world where the simple act of opening a letter or accepting a drink could be a fatal mistake. In 17th-century Italy, Aqua Tofana became the infamous poison of choice for those looking to kill their enemies discreetly. It gained its reputation as a deadly and, more importantly, virtually undetectable poison. Because of this,
Aqua Tofana: The Notorious Poison that Plagued 17th-Century Europe Read More »
The Victorian period extended from 1820 to 1914, and during this time, social change, economic growth, and the rise of the Industrial Revolution changed how people lived all around Europe and in the United States. The Victorians were a study of opposites. They were excited by the possibilities of a new and changing future, and
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The eighteenth century was an age of courtly excesses. In the time of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, the palace of Versailles outside Paris became notorious for parties of extravagance and debauchery during the height of Britain’s economic growth. It was an age of decadence that often manifested itself in how people appeared.
The Deadliest Fashion Trends of the Georgian Era Read More »
In speculative fiction, H.P. Lovecraft’s name elicits fanaticism second only to Edgar Allan Poe and Bram Stoker. But not for surpassing the bar set by these undisputed giants of the dark and macabre but for the sub-genre he carved out for himself. Credited with creating “cosmic” horror, Lovecraft shifted the genre from stories that reflect
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Marilyn Vos Savant may be the world’s smartest person. With an IQ of 228, she remains the Guinness world record-holder for the highest score ever. She’s led an extraordinary life, worked at an investment business, written screenplays, and married a world-famous inventor and surgeon. But her extremely high IQ has also made her the target
Marilyn Vos Savant, The “World’s Smartest Woman” with a 228 IQ Read More »
Nikola Tesla may not have gained the wealth and recognition of Thomas Edison, but his work on alternating current technology has earned him a spot among America’s most renowned inventors. Near the end of his life, he began working on a project that came to be known as the “death ray.” He claimed it was
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Nearly a century ago, a dog named Hachiko won over the hearts of the Japanese nation through his steadfast loyalty to his owner. To this day, he is a beloved national icon whose story provides a touching example of just how strong the bond between dog and human can be. Adopted by a university professor
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Most of us know that infants are highly impressionable. Their brains are like sponges, and their experiences during this formative period can stay with them for years or even decades. Unfortunately for a little toddler named Albert, the researchers who experimented on him weren’t thinking about long-term damage. Instead, they decided to test Albert’s response
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Frankenstein may have had a kindred spirit with Soviet scientist Vladimir Demikhov. In 1954, Demikhov successfully grafted the head of a smaller dog onto the neck of a larger one, essentially creating a two-headed dog. A few years later, in 1959, LIFE magazine visited Demikhov to document what would be the 24th of his creative experiments on
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